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by Naomi Yagawa
Summary: -
1. Intro

So, in light of the continuously poor reviews being given to this story, I've decided to give it a total makeover.

I'll be stockpiling the original, putting it all into one "chapter" and keeping it on this file, and changing the name.

I agree, the story was shallow, the characters weren't amazing or well rounded, but I thought that there would be an ultimate purpose for it to be that way. The idea was that the characters, and their outlooks, would be very superficial in the beginning, and (much like in real high school) their social interactions would be based on their aesthetic impressions. And just like in real life, as the story goes on, characters like Sakura would become balanced and mature as a person. Same goes for Sasuke, Ino, Hinata, Naruto. They should be the main characters, and I did a poor job of portraying them. I apologize. I'll be trying this again, but going a slightly different route with characters like Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, and less Ino...

Thanks for those who did review, and again, I apologize for the poorly delivered work. The more it went on I felt like I was making a new _My Immortal_... *shivers*

If you have any questions, just let me know! PM me, review, whatevs :) I love to hear from people!


	2. The Original Story, Chapters 1-4

**Keep in mind, there are a lot of parts that were supposed to be italicized to convey that they were thoughts, but I didn't want to go through all 20,000 words to find what was supposed to be altered. So sorry for being lazy, if you're choosing to read this anyways, enjoy :P**

Hey, I love reviews so please leave one if you want/can. I'm going to be removing all the commentary in the chapters, so if you have questions about the story, or about anything else, feel free to message me! I always respond :) Thanks for reading!

Secret Life of the Konoha Teenager Chapter 1

"Mom I'm leaving now!" A spunky young teen shouted, tying up her long pink locks, ending the nearly three hours of early morning preparation she'd put in for the first day of school. She headed out the door, not waiting for a response.

"Okay honey! Good luck today Sakura!" Her mother called out desperately. The green eyed young woman rolled her eyes, what an annoying goody two shoes. Sakura didn't have much respect for either of her parents, though she loved them. They were lenient parents, and she got away with a lot. Her family was well off, and she definitely lived a sheltered life, but it didn't stop her from craving something more. A little danger perhaps, a nice adrenaline rush every now and then, that's not too much to ask for, right?

"Hey Sakura!" Said a perky blond, skipping down the steps of a similar, nearby house. "Are you ready for today?" She said in a giddy tone. She always had a girly sense of style, and it matched her too well.

"Oh Ino, I'm always ready." Sakura said in an assured tone. "And this year, I am going to date THE Sasuke Uchiha."

"You freakin' wish, billboard brow. If anyone is going to date an Uchiha it's going to be me." Ino said in a scoffing tone.

They continued bickering back and forth like this the entire walk to school. Ino and Sakura were friends since grade school, and popular girls, but no one was popular the way the Uchiha brothers were.

The girls exchanged excited glances before gaining their composure and walking into the school together, with a cooler than ice stride that stopped many students dead in their tracks.

Already they were catching intrigued glances from boys, and even a few girls.

"Hey ladies, lookin' good!" Said a perky blonde, this was Naruto, his blue eyes definitely sparkled more than last year, and it looked as though he'd grown out of his quirky childish ways. He was built and wore a black T, an orange jacket, and necklace hung with thin chain wiring and a blue crystal at the end.

"Hey Naruto!" Ino and Sakura chimed, giving him a wink, quickly drawing their attention to his best friend, who like always, simply gave them both an intense stare. It was of course, none other than the Sasuke Uchiha.

Sasuke had on a grey V-neck, that slightly showed his softly chiseled chest, wrist bands, and a single earring. His eyes had grown darker over the years, and his face was still as pale and handsome as ever. Unfortunately, he was still as stand-offish as ever, and was a complete mystery to everyone, which of course made girls crazy for him.

Sasuke's deep eyes locked on with Sakura's green ones just before giving her a very apparent once over. "Hey, Sakura." They slowly began walking away, while Ino and Sakura shared a beaming giddy stare with one another, trying with all their might not to scream like the fangirls they clearly were.

"Sakura, psst..coming this way. Tall, dark, and not so…handsome? Uh…woah." She giggled, as a pair of boys approached. Much to her surprise, they were handsome indeed.

"Hey Sakura." Said a young man in light but husky tone, as Sakura turned to see deep brown eyes, encircled by dark eyelashes, almost looking like eye liner or mascera was on them. Wait, this can't be… This wasn't how she remembered him at all, though he did leave for year, or was it more?

"Hey Lee." Sakura said, masterfully masking her inner thoughts with a mellow tone. He got seriously hot, what a transformation! He wore a dark green tank top with a black jean jacket. Behind him was another familiar face, Neji Hyuuga, who was easily one of the more popular boys in school.

"Hey, why the hell are you getting all the attention!" Ino whined. Ino was easily one of the more popular girls in her grade, with many eyeing her, but a good number of boys had confessed their love for Sakura a few years ago, Lee being the most avid of them all.

"Well well, look who it is?" Ino smirked, as she and Sakura made finally entered their classroom for the year. A small group of familiar boys greeted them.

"Sup' Ino," Said Shikamaru, long hair pulled back, slumped back in his seat smirking up at Ino. They had already dated for a while, but it had fallen apart, and they decided they were just better friends. Shikamaru had a devious handsome look to him, and was beyond too cool for everything in life. He had been good to her, but it was apparent he wasn't relationship material. Ino was too wild for him anyways. If Ino hadn't told Sakura that he got straight A's and A+'s, she would have assumed his lack of interest in everything would have gotten him geld back a year.

"Hey Shika!" She said teasingly, leaning over his desk, messing with the neatly arranged things on his desk. Shikamaru, obviously enjoying the little display, was muttering something about troublesome women under his breath.

Around the corner came Kiba Inuzuka, who wore a fur hooded jacket, tight pants, and a hemp necklace with a fang at the end. "Hey there, Sakura." He said with a wink, examining the pink haired girl, but quickly shifting his gaze to Ino, giving her a flirty hello, and then eventually doing the same to every girl in the room, and even a few guys. Even though Kiba was not the most popular, his androgynous look and naturally flirtatious nature with everything that moved earned him an attractive reputation with both males and females.

The first warning bell buzzed, and students began shuffling around, finding their desired seats, as the class began to fill. A larger kid, Chouji, clumsily thumbed into the room. He was Shikamaru's best friend, for whatever reason, and also the reason Shikamaru wasn't popular on the level of someone like Sasuke's. An even clumsier pair walked in soon after, Hinata, a horribly nervous and bumbling girl whose head was down nearly all the time. She was followed by Shino, an even weirder guy who wore dark prescription glasses, and hooded his face from everyone. They hung out together, and people just assuming they were an item. When they were in grade school, they were both best friends with Kiba, who seemed to become very distant with them as he became popular. Another weird kid, Sai, a poor tongued art student who got away with saying stupid shit to pretty much everyone simply because he didn't really care. It helped that he was pretty good looking. Finally, Naruto came rushing into the classroom just as the first period bell rung, cooly taking the nearest desk to the door.

"Is that everyone?" Sakura inquired, curious and sad to why Sasuke wasn't present.

"Hey, don't forget about the Akatsuki! They are the it seniors here, and you know how much I love seniors, hehe..." Ino gave Sakura dirty, and started laughing. The Akatsuki was a self-formed school club, made up of the most gorgeous and popular students in the school, most of whom had gained positions in the student council, further swaying their influence in social matters.

"Oh yea, can't believe we haven't seen them yet!" She said, "Maybe, they are planning something?"

"Yea, like, planning to sweep me off my feet! All of them, realizing they are madly in love with me!" Ino's dazzling orbs blinked as the teacher came in, slamming the door shut behind him,well after class was already supposed to start.

"Damn senior...SBO..." Kakashi-sensei muttered under his breath, clearing the white board, his babbling barely audible. "Ughh...Alright class lets get started, we only have about ten minutes for introductions, and then there is going to be an assembly. So lets hurry it-"

*Creak* The loud squeaky door opened as a stunning figure slowly entered the classroom.

"Oh hello" Kakashi cleared his throat. "Um, your late, but that's fine… " Kakashi said, only because he himself had also been late. The young male student was looking down at the ground, but slowly lifted his gaze to lock eyes with Sakura. The contact was intense, making her blush furiously. He had gorgeous red hair, and light teal eyes. He even had eyeliner on, and a seriously intense aura that sent chills up Sakura's spine as he drew ever closer to her. Then just like that, he dropped his shoulder bag by her desk, and lazily sat in the seat in front of her.

She took a deep breath, what the hell was that? Did I just freakin' fall for him? No no...thats ridiculous. Just breath Sakura...

"Man another hotty, can you believe our luck!" Ino said, whispering in her ear.

"Well kids, why don't we all get to know each other? Ino, you seem to like to talk, why not start us off?" The class let out a hushed laugh, but Ino was by no means shy.

"Anything for you, Kakashi-sensei!" She said in an obscenely flirty tone, though Kakashi didn't seem to bend to the wily ways of a hormone ridden teen so easily. The introductions went by quickly. All students were required to be apart of a club, and many clubs were associated with social cliques in the school. So for students like Ino in the fashion club, or students like Kiba and Naruto in various sports clubs, announcing such things was done so with no small amount of pride. Hinata, easily the quietest and clumsiest girl Sakura had ever met, stuttered nervously when it was her turn. Eventually she just shook her head and sat down, having not really said anything in the end. What a freak. Following in suit, Shino also refused to say anything, gaining a shy grin of solidarity from Hinata. Sakura couldn't help notice Kiba muttering as he refused to look over at the pair. She quickly brushed them off, listening to Naruto's loud and ego driven introduction. He wasn't half bad though, very good looking, and something about him garnered respect from everyone, despite what an utter goof he was.

"Okay, last one! Gaara, you're up." After a few moments went by, Kakashi realized he wasn't saying anything. "Gaara?"

The red haired boy slowly shifted, standing up and out of his seat, facing away from the classroom. Something about him gave Sakura a terrified chill, but he was insatiably intriguing. What is it about him… I'm so drawn to him! She was really curious now to hear what he had to say.

But suddenly.

*BEEP* "Attention all students, please report to the auditorium for a special welcoming assembly from your beloved Student Council members! Thank you all!" *BEEP*

The class quickly got up and poured out the door, as Ino dragged Sakura out the door, she barely caught his eyes before being swallowed up by the crowd.

"Come on Sakura, we have to get good seats!" She said, practically running now to the auditorium. Naruto had somehow made it there way before them, and waved them over to some of the best seats in the large room.

"Hey Sakura," He said cooly, giving me a curious expression, his blue eyes darkened by the dimly lit theater.

Sakura accidentally dismissed him when the grief of Sasuke not being with him begged a question. "Hey shouldn't Sasuke be with you?" Naruto brushed it off, already used to ladies overlooking him for his dark haired friend. Especially Sakura…

"Hehe, I have a feeling we'll be seeing Sasuke soon." Naruto down up at the stage as the lights dimmed, Sakura looked over at Ino, who was now seated a few spaces down, next to one very captivated Neji Hyuuga. Even he couldn't refuse her advances, as she played with his long silky hair, giggling and smirking at him seductively.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Every student quickly turned their attention to the empty stage. "As your Student Council president, it is my pleasure to introduce to you this years Student Body Officers for this year at Konoha High! But first, I'll introduce myself. My name is Yahiko, and I'm a senior here at Konoha High. I am also the leader of the Akatsuki group, and I will be your host this morning as we welcome the student body officers, as elected by all of you last year." A loud applause echoed through the auditorium.

Yahiko was definitely the leader type, he had bright red hair, a few piercing, a bad boy look but with a charming and clever personality. A booming voice, and excellent people skills. An obvious choice to represent the students, since he'd been Student Body President for nearly all three years he'd been at Konoha High. Many girls had tried to confess to the socialite king, but he was the long-time dedicated boyfriend to the fashion queen of the school, the blue haired beauty, Konan.

"Now let me introduce you to the rest of the SBO team, lets start with Deidara, come on out!" Another loud applause erupted.

"Hey un, I'm Deidara, and I'm a Co-captain of the 3-D Art division, and the new swim team coach."

"Hey you hear that Sakura, you get to work with one of the Akatsuki!" Sakura simply laughed at her and nodded, shit, I totally forgot I joined the swim team!

"I'm Sasori, and I'm the other Co-captain of the 3-D art division, and I'm in the Drama Club."

"I'm Konan! I run the Fashion Club."

"I'm Hidan, and I fucking love all of you!" A huge applause erupted amongst the girls in the audience. Hidan being the biggest party boy, was also the biggest ladies man, who seemed to masterfully make any girl blush with a wink of his bright light brown eyes.

"Hmm yes, thank you Hidan..." Yahiko said, rubbing his forehead a little, then turning back to the crowd, most of them hanging of off their seats in anticipation. "And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! Let me introduce, your class presidents!" Another loud applause erupted.

This moment was dire, as no one but those who had run for the positions knew what the result were.

"Starting with the Sophmores! Your Class President for this year is," The entire auditorium fell silent, "Sasuke Uchiha!"

The room had a wave like reaction, and all the sophmores stood up, including Naruto, Ino, and myself.

Sasuke came out from a small concealed hallway on the stage, and waved at the screaming crowd before stepping neatly in line with the rest of the council.

"AH!" Ino squealed, "Thats the most I've ever heard Sasuke say, how cool!"

"Next up, for all you lovely juniors, your class president is," anticipation filled the room, "Rock Lee!" The room exploded again in applause, all the Juniors got up and stomped their feet as Lee stepped out onto the stage, including Neji and many other Juniors around us as Lee ran out onto the stage enthusiastically.

"Hey, I'm Rock Lee, I'm the Soccer team coach, and I'm a student teacher assistant in all gym classes. I'm honored to serve Juniors as your class president." Lee bowed and gave a wink and smile to the crowd.

"Lastly, your senior class president," Yahiko said dramatically, "Are you guys ready for this?" He asked, raising his arms as all the students applauded louder as his arms raised higher.

"Alright, here he is, the one and only," the crowd grew silent, "Itachi Uchiha!" Sakura had to cover her ears, as the crowd was deafening, and not just the seniors stood up, but the entire auditorium.

"Thank you everyone, I'm Itachi Uchiha, I'm the captain of the Sports team, and the head of the academics division. I look forward to serving the seniors as well as the whole school as senior class president. Thank you Konoha High!" Again the auditorium erupted, as Yahiko took back the microphone.

"Don't forget to check the club listings, everyone please sign up for something, don't be shy!

The students piled out of the auditorium, heading back to class, and before long, the lunch bell had rung.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

TO BE CONTINUED…

CHAPTER 2  
Chapter 2

"Hey Ino, lets sit over there!" Sakura said, motioning to a table consisting of Konan, Sasuke, and Naruto. Before Sakura could finish, Ino had skipped away to sit down, nothing more than an apple on her plate, raisins and OJ on mine.

Naruto said hi to both Ino and her, while Sasuke merely gave a casual nod.

"Hi!" Ino said melodically, sitting across from Konan.

"You are...Ino right?" Konan had a very womanly voice, and she herself was very mature in appearance. She wore a tight blue sweater at elbow length, black jeans, and her hair up in its usual bun with a lovely paper hair piece.

"Oh my god, yes!" Ino squealed, "Uh I mean, heh, yes that's me!" probably just excited that someone as popular as Konan actually knew her name.

The two of them hit it off, as Ino poured her fashion ideas onto a professional and well versed Konan, who politely ignored what a ditz Ino could be when enamored in her fashonista idealism.

"Hey guys wuz up?!" Said a shrill male voice. Sakura looked over and see a tall silver headed man, followed by a red haired boy, and a smirking blond.

"Hey fellas." Naruto said, as Hidan, Sasori, and Deidara seated themselves.

"Ooooo! Whose the fresh meat?" Hidan questioned, eyeing Sakura and Ino.

"Hey leave em alone Hidan." Konan said defensively.

"Hey hey now, I'm just wondering, you know how much I love sophomores, or soft mores as I like 'em. Hehe right boys?" He jabbed Sasori in the stomach, who whacked him across the forehead, as Deidara burst out in laughter.

"I'm so sorry ladies, he's not all that bad I promise." Said another handsome voice, taking a seat next to Konan.

"Oh hi sweetie, this is Ino and..."

"Sakura" She said with a typical cutie pie smile. Yahiko couldn't help but give her a smile, as did Konan.

"Nice to meet you both." He said, charmingly nodding to both of them.

Konan and Ino continued talking between themselves, as Yahiko directed his attention to Sakura. "So, Sakura, are you in a club yet?"

"Yes, I'm on the swim team!" She said in a bubbly tone. Yahiko was quite handsome, and underneath the few piercings he had, his face was soft and sweet. His personality seemed to be similar. He seemed so outgoing during the assembly, but currently he was calm, soft spoken, and surprisingly approachable.

"Really? Than you'll be working with Deidara, be careful though," He whispered, "He's a dangerous ladies man."

"What?! I am a gentleman!" Deidara whined. "Don't worry Sakura, you'll be safe with me!" He said giving her a reassuring wink. She smiled at him, he had deep blue eyes, and a very playful and flirty nature. It was then that she realized she and Ino were sitting with the most popular students in the entire school, the Akatsuki, Naruto, and…

Oh yea, Sasuke...she looked over at Sasuke, who seemed to be looking straight at her, but when their eyes connected and stayed there for a few awkward seconds, he looked away, head resting on his crossed hands.

"Hey guys, I have an announcement to make." Yahiko rose up, mostly speaking to the the table, but many students were watching the attractive group. "I would like to make the announcement that the Akatsuki has added a new official member!" Suddenly the room erupted in chaotic whispers. "This new member is of course," Yahiko was always so good with dramatic pauses. "Sasuke! Wooh!" And with that Yahiko sat down, as a few people clapped, some gave cheers, others continued whispering.

"Hey congrats Sasuke!" Deidara said, leaning over to pat Sasuke on the back.

"Yea, you can freely attend all of my sick parties!" Hidan said, as if Sasuke had just gotten a golden ticket, graciously given by Hidan.

"You invite anyone and any thing to those anyway. Welcome Sasuke." Sasori said.

"Thanks guys." Sasuke said bluntly, giving a tiny smile.

"Hey, so now that you're an official member, we should throw you your own party!" Hidan said. "Why don't we have one this weekend?"

"You idiot.." Sasori said dully, "You were already having a party this weekend, and it wasn't for Sasuke!"

"Yea that's pretty lame sempai." Deidara chimed, "Oh well we'll just have to take over your party in Sasuke's name, right Sasuke?"

Sasuke seemed entirely indifferent, his gaze continuously being caught in Sakura's direction.

"Oh hell no, not again.." Hidan said threateningly. "No fucking way, not after last time..."

What ever happened last time had Deidara cracking up, even Sasori let out a few laughs.

Before anyone could ask, the bell had rung and they all headed their separate ways.

The last class of the day, Gym, had finally arrived, and Lee beamed as he walked in to see that Sakura was in his class. Sakura caught him looking at her all throughout the class, and couldn't help but blush as the star athlete of the Juinor Class clearly still had eyes for her. Lee had liked her ever since she could remember knowing him, but it was a long time before he rose to popularity. He was always himself though, and it was something she was slowly beginning to admire.

Little did she realize, a certain raven haired Sophomore also had eyes for her, and jealously watched Lee's captivation with Sakura throughout the entire hour long class.

"Alright all you youthful smiling faces!" Gai sensei said to the dull group. "I want everyone to introduce themselves, Name, age, and something you like! Let's do this!"

Gai sensei of course started off by telling everyone more than anyone needed to know about himself.

The class enthusiastically gave their name, age, and random interests, all except for Sasuke who gave his name, and shrugged off the rest, earning him a friendly punch to the shoulder by one very chipper blonde.

"And lastly, Hinata!" Gai said, calling the last student.

Most of the students didn't even realize she was there, sulking in the back of the gym, messy cropped dark hair and long bangs that covered her eyes when she slouched. She shook her head softly, quietly begging to not be asked to speak out.

"Hinata, come on now, just 3 simple things." Gai sensei said, encouraging her to speak.

"I...uh umm..." Hinata seemed to be on the verge of tears. The silence was kind of annoying, this girl really started to bother Sakura, and some of the other students with her awkwardness.

"I-I'm...H-hinata...and I'm uh, 15...and..."

"Something you like?" Gai said, the whole room became un-comfortable.

"I-i...umm" Hinata couldn't hold back the tears brimming in her eyes, as they softly slid across her cheeks.

"Hey hey, Gai-sensei! I want to go again!" Naruto yelled, interrupting her, "I know I already said I like ramen, but you guys don't even know what KIND I like! You know, there's like, so many different kinds of-" Naruto continued, as Hinata looked up at him, shocked that he had saved her from her fear of speaking out. The class started to laugh at him as he rambled on, already forgetting that Hinata had started crying. Sakura began to feel bad for her, but more than anything was surprised that Naruto would help her out like that.

Eventually, Naruto was cut off by the final bell, but not before making himself look pretty ridiculous. The first one out the door was Hinata, who was now trying to wipe away her tears, clumsily stumbling out the door.

Sakura slowly headed to the door after gathering her things, Sasuke caught up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Follow me." he said, his gorgeous asphalt enrapturing her.

A chipper voice chimed in "Hey Sakura, can I ask you something?" Lee said suddenly, as Sakura turned around. Sasuke stopped, looking very annoyed.

"Oh, sure Lee." Sakura said, sensing Sasuke's annoyance. Is Sasuke jealous?

"Well, Hidan is having this party, I hear it is going to be really intense!"

"Yea I heard about it, sounds like, really awesome!" Sakura giggled.

"So I was wondering-" Lee walked a little closer to me.

"Sakura we gotta go." Sasuke said leaning on the door, looking bored and annoyed.

Lee was the annoyed one now, seeing Sasuke giving him a glare out of the corner of his eye. "Like I was saying, I was wondering if-"

"Sorry, Lee." Sasuke said in a sarcastic tone, slowly walking up to Lee until he was standing face to face with him. "Sakura has somewhere to be right now." Lee was intimidated, as anyone would be when threatened by the Sasuke Uchiha, but he held his ground, glaring right back at him.

For a moment, Sakura felt afraid, wondering what would happen if they actually fought. But Sasuke backed away, walking towards the hall. "Sorry, Lee, we'll talk later?" Sakura said with a smile, like nothing had happened

"Thats fine, I'll talk to you later!" Lee smiled at her, then glared at Sasuke as Sakura followed him into the hall.

"S-Sasuke, you okay?"

Sakura followed him out of some door, not really noticing where they had gone. It seemed that he had led them outside, but there was no one around. Suddenly, Sasuke pushed her up against the wall, catching her completely by surprised as she gasped, his onix eyes staring into her emerald orbs. One strong arm cornered her against the wall, while other hovered by her waist.

"You don't actually like him do you?" He said in a confusing tone. Is he angry? Or is he just messing around?

"Maybe I do. Why do you care?" Sakura asked, teasingly, hoping he wasn't in fact angry.

"More than me?" He asked in more soft tone, inching ever closer to her soft, flushed face. She felt a hand slowly move up her shoulder.

"...No." She said, barely able to comprehend the position she was in. This type of situation, most girls would kill for, to be this close to heart throb Uchiha.

"Good." Sasuke said in a triumphant tone. His lips moving quickly against hers, the soft kiss quickly transformed into a rough passionate one. Sakura couldn't tell if she was the luckiest girl in school, because for some reason, she didn't feel good about what was happening. The kiss was deep, and the strong hands now gripping her shoulder and face made her body tingle, but something inside her felt sick.

Suddenly someone appeared out of the door they had come through, a familiar purple haired girl with tears in her eyes.

"Oh god I'm so sorry!" Said Hinata, who was blushing madly, she tried to go back in through the door, but it had locked, and she began to cry. Sasuke simply rolled his eyes, looking back at Sakura, as the girl ran away, face buried in her hands. Sakura felt kind of bad for her, as she watched her run away from the scene, around the side of the building.

"What a freak..." Sasuke said, moving in to kiss Sakura once more. Sakura continued to let him kiss her, and tried to play it cool, but the more it went on, the more she realized she wasn't really feeling it.

"So," Sasuke said, pulling out of the kiss, "You're going to be my date, to Hidan's party." Sasuke said in a prideful tone, obviously pleased with himself. "Okay?"

"O-Okay! Yea, I'd love that!" Sakura said, genuinely happy, but also conflicted. He didn't even ask my permission?

"Hey can we keep this a secret?" He said, giving her a wink, and she looked a little confused. "Just until the party, okay?"

"Ha, yea okay!" She said giving him her signature sugar sweet smile. "Seeya tomorrow!" she said, watching Sasuke walk away from her. She stood there for a moment, stunned, until going off to look for Ino.

"Hey Sakura, what took ya so long? You're blushing, you okay?" She said inquisitively.

"Oh Ino, we need to have some serious girl talk. Wait-What's that on your neck?" Sakura noticed a very obvious hicky on Ino's collarbone, and a strong cologne scent coming from her. "And why do you smell like..."

"Hyuuga?" She said instantly, when few seconds passed and she realized what she said she blushed fiercely. "Uh I mean...we certainly have a few things to talk about now don't we hehe...you go first!"

CHAPTER 3  
Chapter 3

"Oh my god! It's happened!" Ino said with a loud squeal, with an incredibly dumbfounded look.

"Well jeez, Ino, thanks for having faith in me." Sakura said, plugging one of her ears, apparently the news of her and Sasuke now dating was quite a shock.

"No no not that…Forget you and Sasuke! Neji totally just asked me out! To Hidan's party!" Ino said.

"Cool! Then we can go together!" Sakura said cheerfully.

"Yea! We'll be the most envied girls, especially you! You already have an in with the Akatsuki! Lucky..." Ino said sticking her tounge out.

"Hey but look at you, Neji is totally popular!"

"Well yea but…who...oh my god. Is that really..?" Ino stopped, as a gorgeous dark haired figure approached her from a ways away. "Quick quick what do we do, he's coming towards us!"

"Just calm down Ino be cool, pull out your phone or something!" Sakura said cooly, Ino calmly pulled out her phone, and smirked at it, hoping it would appear that someone very important was texting her.

"Hey, your Ino right?" Itachi said when he finally reached the girls, nodding a hello at Sakura before turning his attention to Ino.

"Yea?" Ino said cooly, smiling up at Itachi, masterfully using the suns reflection to highlight the best parts of her face.

"I'm Itachi, I was talking to Konan about you earlier."

"Yea I know who you are, haha everyone does." Ino said smirking, trying really really hard to play it cool and keep her heart from beating out of her chest.

"Well it seems a lot of people know you too." Itachi said, slowing moving closer to Ino. "I've seen you a few times around." Itachi was pretty close now to Ino, as he played with a strand of her hair. "So I was wondering, about Hidan's party this weekend" Itachi took Ino's hand, making eye contact with her. "Would you go with me as my date?"

Ino stood there dumbfounded, as possibly the most popular guy in school, the most attractive, and the mest desired by all females, stood before her, asking her on a date. On a date. On a god damn date! Sakura looked over at Ino, who was standing there like a space cadet, lost in Itachi's deep dark orbs. Ino was brought back to reality as Sakura nudged her.

"Oh..! Y-yea totally! I w-would love to! Uh go, with you!" Ino said, tripping over her words, but Itachi just smiled and laughed, giving a charming bow, and placing a soft kiss on Ino's hand.

"It'll be my honor. I got your number from Konan, text you later?" He said, giving a handsome smile and nod as he walked away.

"Y-yea, heh." Ino was speechless, watching him disappear into the mess of cars, a completely glazed look over her face.

"Ino...snap out of it!" Sakura said, as the dumbfounded blonde turned to her slowly and began to squeal louder than ever.

"Ah! Sakura this is amazing! I'm going to a high school party with Itachi! And…" Ino's face turned to horror in seconds. "Oh shit...Neji."

"Yea..."

"Oh shit."

"Oh shit is right, now what are you going to do about it?"

"I-I..."

"Hey Ino, I can't wait for our little Saturday rendezvous. It'll be quite the evening, don't you think?" Said Neji as he came up behind Ino suddenly. Flashing her a classy smile, Neji was very classy. Pale skinned, bright grey almost colorless eyes, and such silky long brown evenly trimmed hair. Another one of the most desired heartthrobs of Konoha high. His reputation was enough to make even the gorgeous and incredibly popular Ino Yamanaka nervous.

"Uh... yea! Totally! eh..." Ino biting her tounge, though Neji didn't seem to notice her hesitation, as he walked up to her, placed a hand across her neck and kissed her pale skinned cheek. A blush spreading across her face. Neji walked away, giving a quick wink, and putting a hand up as a farewell, giving both Ino and Sakura a wave. When he was finally out of sight, Ino collapsed into her locker, "Kill me now Sakura."

Sakura walked home by herself, as Ino decided to stick around school to gather the courage to turn down either Neji or Itachi. Saying no to Itachi was difficult because every girl was in love with him, whether or not they knew it. He seemed like a reasonable and very nice guy, and would be understanding, but Neji didn't seem that way. He was more judgmental, but still at the top tier, and worth dating. Sakura hoped her friend was okay, and had managed to make a decision. Just as she had left school property, a sleek black car pulled up, and parked in front of her. Sasuke got out of the drivers side.

"S-Sasuke?" Sakura said, confused and surprised. Her heart skipped a beat, he looked so cool and so hot. He intimidated her, and she still was crushing on him hard, but his recent lack of chivalry was giving her second thoughts...

"Come with me," He said, motioning to her, and opening the passenger door. She was puzzled, but she was too nervous to say no, so she complied and got in the car.

When they got going, she decided to break the silence. "I didn't know you could drive, is this car yours?" She asked, he merely responded with a dull "Mhm."

"So..." The silence was unnerving. "Did your parents buy it for you?"

Sasuke's face suddenly dawned a strange expression Sakura had never seen before. It was definitely a scowl, but…sad? "Sasuke?"

"Yea. They did." Was all he said, as if to cease the discussion, and any further discussion.

The negative new aura in the car was painfully apparent. She couldn't pinpoint what she did wrong, but something she said definitely upset him. Way to go, Sakura.

After another five minutes of silence, they finally arrived at a small house, in a less than impressive area. "Is this...your house?" Sakura asked, is Sasuke poor?

Sasuke scoffed. "No." Without saying much else, he got out of the car, not bothering to open Sakura's, and headed towards the small shabby house. After walking inside, it was pretty apparent whose home it was. There were ramen cups all over the tiny kitchen, milk had been left out, some ninja video game was left running, and lots of too orange clothing was messily left around. Naruto...

The small house had two even smaller bedrooms, one of which Sasuke went into while Sakura hesitated as to whether or not she should follow. After a few moments, he poked his head out. "Sakura, come on." He said, beckoning her inside. She sheepishly followed, wondering for a moment where Naruto was.

Inside the small room was a low bed, and Tv across from it. Sasuke had already turned it on, and it was some political documentary. How drab, Sakura thought to herself as she sat herself down next to him. There was a small closet that looked like it had clothes that were more Sasuke's style. I wonder if he lives here... Sakura was too nervous to ask him more questions, and before she could even think about it, Sasuke moved towards her and kissed her deeply.

He slowly pushed her back on the bed, and she let him take over. Feeling his warm muscular body against hers made her heart flutter, and the kiss connected them in a way she'd never felt before. Sure she had kissed boys before, but Sasuke seemed to really want her, as he had initiated all of their contact so far. For a moment she felt really special.

His hands worked his way around her body until she felt him teasing with her shirt. They had been making out for a few minutes now, and he was already moving faster than she was ready for. She considered herself incredibly lucky, and didn't want to say anything to ruin the moment or drive him away. If this is what he wants, I think I should let him do it... She wasn't effectively convincing herself, and some part of her felt sick.

Soon enough, Sasuke had expertly removed her shirt, and was playing at the hem of her pants.

She had fantasies about this exact thing not long ago, she had always had a crush on Sasuke, ever since she can remember...And even when he disappeared during Junior high, she still had feelings for him. But now..Now she was scared and uncomfortable, and she realized she didn't know anything about the boy on top of her.

Still, without the courage to stop Sasuke's aggressive advances on her body, she let herself be lost in the moment. She was consumed by his hungry black satin eyes, and suffocated by his soft cinnamon scented skin as it entered her.

CHAPTER 4  
Chapter 4

Sakura was now in her own bed, and it was Friday night. Even though it had already been a few days since she lost her virginity to Sasuke, she could still remember what it felt like, and it made her body tingle. It also gave her a pit like feeling in her stomach. She didn't even think about the fact that he hadn't used a condom until he finished inside her... She got chills as she recalled them doing that.. She also recalled seeing Naruto for a split second as Sasuke led her out of the small house when taking her back home. His dumbfounded expression at seeing her suddenly appearing in his home would have been something rather humorous if the situation were any different, but instead it made her feel like a spectacle. Naruto was pretty daft, but even he could figure out what had just happened between Sasuke and Sakura.

The rest of the week had gone by pretty fast, since it was just the first school week, classes were easy. Popular students wasted no time setting up parties, and the word around school was that Hidan's party was unofficially going to kick off the year. Everyone was invited, even students like Shino, who of course refused to give an answer, and Hinata, who seemed unable to give one.

In no time, Saturday morning had arrived, and Sakura spent all day mentally and physically preparing herself to fit in with the top tier socialite students. She was determined to become one herself. Now that she was in a relationship with Sasuke, she was sure she was a shoe in.

With excruciating detail, she had perfectly embellished her face and body with expensive makeup, a frilly pink dress, lacy stockings, and red high heels.

Suddenly she heard a knock at the door, and it was already time to leave. She gathered her things quickly into an expensive handbag, and left the house, not bothering to give her parents notice. Though, come to think of it she also hadn't even told them she was going anywhere today. She shrugged to herself, it's not like they cared where she went or what she did. Or who she did.

She took a deep breath, put on a sweet smile, this time trying to add a little sexiness, and opened the door.

"Hi Sasuke." She said, as the handsome Uchiha leaning on the door frame met her gaze.

"Hey Sakura. You look great." Sasuke said, holding out a hand to her as she placed her in his. He wore a tight dark blue shirt with silver lining in it, a black jacket, and skinny jeans. He also wore metal chain mesh necklace, and she now noticed the streaks of dark blue among the pitch black styled spikes. He was as handsome as ever.

Itachi was the chauffeur for the night, and Ino was already waiting by the car for Sakura. She waved to her as they got in the back seat together, with the two brothers in the front.

"Sakura! You look so hot! I love your dress!" Ino began praising her, as Sakura too returned the favor. Itachi began to drive, and Sasuke turned up the radio. It was loud enough for Sakura and Ino to whisper to each other without the sound reaching the front.

"So what happened with Neji? Did you ever tell him?" Sakura inquired

"Well...no."

"What? What are you going to do? Isn't he going to be there tonight?"

"Well yea but...Look I can take care of it alright?" Ino said a little defensively. Sakura seriously doubted that to be true.

"Ino! I just don't want you getting in trouble, okay!"

"Yea, well you don't have to worry about me okay, but thanks I guess, whatever..." Ino looked a little embarrassed, and perhaps was now nervous. Eventually they arrived at a beautiful pristine looking mansion, Ino and Sakura both became speechless as they pulled into the expansive driveway. The luxurious front yard was incredible, people were piling in, most of whom didn't even seem like they were students of their high school, or any high school for that matter.

Both Sakura and Ino had been to college parties, or so they had thought. It had mostly been older teens and young adults getting drunk and listening to bad music, making stupid mistakes, and throwing up in their parents houses. This was on a totally different level, in both quality and quantity.

"So this is Hidan's house? It's enormous!" Ino said, as Itachi helped her out of the car.

"Nah, this is our house." Sasuke said, heading towards the house, beckoning to Sakura who had helped herself out. Both Ino and her looked very surprised.

"You and Itachi live here?" She said, repeating the fact in astonishment.

"Yup." Sasuke said, leading them into the large house, the whole place was lit up nicely, one half had disco lights flashing constantly, music blasting, and people jumping up and down. The other had a more relaxed lighting, some couches, and a dining area, though the noise seemed to bleed across the entire estate. There was an upstairs, and already young couples were going up and down, leading each other into rooms, as the door shut tightly behind them. Sakura gasped a as she watched two young adult women were crouched over a table, with a small pile of white powder being cut into thin lines on the table.

"Ah sorry, don't mind them Sakura." Itachi said, "You ladies don't have to get involved with anything that goes on here tonight, okay?" He said in a calming and reassuring tone.

"Oh come on! It's no fun without the good stuff!" Said a loud and ecstatic voice from behind me. Sakura felt a hand on my shoulder, as she whipped around to see Hidan putting his arms around her and Sasuke.

"Glad you could make it missy!" He said directly at me, he was incredibly close to my face, too close for comfort.

"Oh y-yea.." She said as a deep blush spread across her heated face. He really was very handsome, slicked back white hair, silver jeans, a black mesh shirt, and very nice eyes. He wore a few rings and necklaces, one ring in particular stood out to her for some reason.

"Now now Hidan, please don't scare the princess." Said Yahiko, as he and Konan walked over to the group, his arm slung around her shoulder. She noticed again that he and Konan had rings that looked very similar to the one Hidan wore.

"Hello Ino, Sakura." Konan said very politely to each of them, she looked absolutely beautiful in her thigh length flowing blue dress, casual yet extravagant. Which seemed to be her signature style.

"You both look stunning!" Said Yahiko, also very politely, Ino and Sakura smiled, thanking him.

"Come on." Sasuke said, nodding to the others as he led her away. He led her into the dance area, though he seemed to be able to evade anyone from bumping into them, as he maneuvered her towards a quieter spot in the back, where Naruto sat.

"Hey guys! You made it!" Naruto got up, nodding a hello to her, giving Sasuke a fist bump greeting. Not far from them was Kiba and a few other guys from the school. They were sitting with older girls, that were definitely not Konoha students. Kiba seemed to fancy a dark haired girl with light blue eyes, as he was very plainly flirting with her, playing with strands of her hair.

Before they could get settled, an attractive girl came up to Naruto, whispering something in his ear before loudly asking him to dance. She had a high pitched voice, but she was very cute and peppy. Naruto looked over joyed, but then again, he always looked like that, he agreed to dance with the girl.

"Go get em sexy!" Kiba said jokingly, as Naruto walked away, turning back and giving Kiba a sour look.

"Naruto hates dancing." Kiba said in a humorous voice, as they watched Naruto stumble around as the girl danced against him, probably pretty drunk already. "C'mon we should help him out." he said, holding a hand out to the dark haired girl as they walked out onto the dance floor together.

Sasuke got up as well, not saying a word, and help out a hand to Sakura. She blushed slightly at his intense gaze. He had on his usual smirk, as he led her onto the dance floor. Sakura wasn't a bad dancer by any means, but she was a pretty distracted, as she looked around to see Naruto getting more comfortable with that girl. He didn't look uncomfortable anymore, his face was very relaxed, even as the girl ground her body against him, putting her arms around his neck, pulling him in seductively. She seemed to try and go in a few times for a kiss, but he was coolly evading her advances.

Sakura turned her attention back to Sasuke who seemed to have been looking around as well, dancing didn't really seem to be his thing, and it really wasn't hers either. He put his hands further up on the small of her back, and for a moment Sakura actually felt comfortable with him, just being there in that moment. Not being sexual or intense, just being together. It seemed neither of them wanted to be there, so she made the decision to lead them elsewhere. She took his hand, and he looked at her for a moment with slight surprise, allowing her to lead him away. Maybe we could just talk for a bit?

They were cut off by a distraught Ino.

"Oh Sakura! Sakura, what should I do?" Ino said panicking, her eyes tearing up a bit.

"Ino, what's wrong?" Sakura tried to calm her down, she freaked out like this a lot, usually it was because her make up had run out while at school or something else rather vain.

"Neji is here!"

"Oh no...and Itachi."

"Neji is really pissed, and Itachi is probably sooo angry with me now!" Ino was sobbing

"Oh Ino.. See? You shouldn't have waited so long to deal with this. Come on."

Sakura looked back for a moment at Sasuke, who's face hadn't changed a bit. He silently followed Sakura and Ino into the lounge, where she saw Neji yelling at Itachi and taking a fighting stance, while Itachi stood his ground very well.

"-The hell is your problem Uchiha? You can't just go around with all these girls! Especially girls that are taken." Neji was furious, and he was likely jealous of Itachi.

"Well, first of all, I came here with one girl tonight." Itachi said smoothly. "I understand that you're upset, but this really isn't a good place for us to discuss this."

"Hn you think your better than everyone don't you? Well I am sick of your entitlement Uchiha, who do you think you are anyway?"

"Neji, please calm down..." Said a distressed Lee, trying to appease a fuming Neji.

Itachi just closed his eyes, tired of Neji's yelling, and sighed deeply.

"That's it, I'm gonna finish this!" Neji raised a fist, and quickly thrust forward, what happened next was so fast that the croud, who'd gathered to watch the dramatic scene, barely saw it happen. Neji's fist stopped inches away from Itachi's face, whose eyes were closed even though he had almost just been hit, and hard. Yahiko stood there next to them, his firm hand around Neji's fist. In front of Neji was Hidan, who had a hand placed flat against his chest, and behind him Konan who had a hand on his shoulder. Lee came up an put a hand on his other shoulder.

"Neji, I think we should go." Lee said, trying to calm down his friend. Neji grunted and lowered his arm, while the others let go and stepped away from him. Lee nodded to the four of them, and they kindly nodded back. Lee began to walk Neji to the door, passing Sakura and Sasuke.

"Lee, I'm sorry about Neji. I told Ino she should...is he gonna be okay?" Sakura couldn't find the right words to amend things.

"Hi Sakura, Neji will be fine! I'm sorry I didn't get to spend time with you, you look beautiful tonight." Lee said smiling at her. "Sasuke..." he said, glaring at Sasuke, and walking out the door behind Neji.

"Well, that was a little unexpected." Said Konan.

"Yea, it was a little out of the ordinary, since we usually only have to stop fights between people who are high, wasted, or horny." Hidan said laughing.

"Not to mention, Neji is strong and fast, as the captain of the Martial arts team..." Yahiko said, rubbing his wrist.

"Thanks guys." Itachi said, sharing a smile with them.

"Hey, what did we miss!" Said Deidara, followed by Sasori. The two had just arrived, and seeing that a crowd had gathered, assumed something had just gone down. Sakura turned to look at the pair, and realized Sasori had been staring at her since he walked in. They locked eyes for a moment, standing there, each slightly surprised at the intensity of the gaze. Sasori looked very handsome, and dawning a loose fitting v-neck and jeans. And those deep reddish brown eyes... Deidara suddenly swung his arm around Sasori, pulling him out of the trance, and away from Sakura's gaze. "Hey buddy! Let's go do some coke!" Deidara pointed to the small tray of coke that had been left messily spread on a nearby coffee table

Sasori shoved him hard. "-The fuck? No way man, are you crazy?"

"Hey hey un- I'm just kidding!"

Sasuke looked over at Sakura "I'm going to get a drink, catcha later" he said, walking away from her and group. She took this chance to walk over to Ino, giving her an encouraging push towards Itachi, who was looking at her curiously. She burst out in tears, trying to tell him everything. Yahiko joked with Deidara and Sasori about the incident, while Konan went to appease a tearful Ino.

"Ino it's alright, It's over now anyways. Let's not let this ruin our night, okay?" He said to her reassuringly, he really was an amazing guy.

"O-our night?" Ino said, perking up.

"Of course! We're still on a date right?" Itachi said taking her hand, and looking sweetly into her eyes.

"I-I, yea, I guess so." Ino said smiling, "Let me go clean up a bit, I'll meet you guys on the dance floor okay?"

"Alright." Itachi smiled at her, as Ino left towards the bathroom.

"Neji can be a scary guy, I wouldn't want to have to confront him if I were her." Konan said. The crowd has now dissolved, and everyone was back to their mindless partying.

"Yea, agreed." Yahiko said, still rubbing his wrist. How he, or any of them moved as fast as they did, still had me in shock. "C'mon guys lets go!" Yahiko said, as Konan followed behind him. Itachi stood by me as I walked behind Hidan, though I stopped to see that Deidara and Sasori weren't moving.

"You guys comin?" I said, cheerfully asking.

"Nah, I don't really dance." Sasori said dully, trying not to look at her.

"HELL YES!" Deidara responded, charging the dance floor, downing the first alcoholic beverage that was offered to him.

"Come on Sakura." Itachi said. Hidan had already made his way up to the Dj post, taking over and jumping into the crowd, he was quite the attention grabber. Yahiko and Konan were inseparable, much to the dismay of the surrounding girls and boys, wanting both of them. Sakura saw that Naruto was now sitting down, but there were two girls hanging of of him, playing with his blue crystal necklace, and putting their hands through his hair. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this treatment, as it wasn't dancing, and didn't take much effort on his part. She looked around at the group of people, trying to spot out Sasuke, when she saw the back of his head.

"Go on! I'll wait for Ino here." Itachi said, motioning her forward. Itachi was very sweet, and incredibly handsome, man was Ino lucky! She walked into the dancing crowd, pushing her way through the bustling people. She caught a quick glimpse of Kiba, dancing intensely with a different girl this time. Strangely enough, she had similar features as the girl he was with earlier. Dark hair, light colored eyes.

She finally saw that familiar black spiky hair, and walked toward it. As she got closer she saw a hand, run through the back of his hair, it didn't look like his.

"What the hell!"

Sasuke had gotten a quick drink of something that was sitting out, and returned to the dance floor, assuming Sakura had already found her way there. He saw Hidan over head on a thick beam, and the sight of him making a spectacle made the dance crowd go wild. Sasuke was not amused by the antics of his older brothers pathetic group, but still...he longed for something he couldn't identify, and maybe they could help him figure out. A red head approached him through the croud, stepping in front of him. Out of nowhere, his head began to spin as he tried to focus on standing up straight.

"You're Sasuke right?" She said, very closely in Sasuke's ear, the raspy tone of her voice made Sasuke shiver. She was just dancing afterall, nothing serious, besides Sasuke was a little too distracted by the sudden chemical reaction going on in his brain. Sasuke simply nodded in response, his vision still spinning.

"Ha, I'm Karin." She said, and again, her voice rumbled in his ears, what the hell was in that drink..?

She started getting closer and closer, moving herself up and down his body, as he blinked a few times, trying to get his mind clear. He could feel some normlacy returning to his senses, taking a deep breath. Whatever this chick is doing feels pretty good. She put a hand on his chest, looking a little like she was going to fall over, but she kept moving in time with the music. She took of the thin framed glasses she was wearing and put them in the small back pocket of her shorts. Her hand was still on his chest, and she kept getting closer.

This probably is not a good situation to be in...Sasuke thought to himself, but he didn't know what to do about it, he felt paralyzed, like he couldn't move from this spot. Suddenly her arms were around him, she locked his gaze with hers as she stopped moving slightly, she did have pretty eyes, they were like a brownish burgundy. And the matched her dark red hair, she smirked when his face when a tinge of red, it was barely there, but it was enough for her to work with.

"You know," She said in his ear, "Your just as sexy as the rumors say." Her voice vibrated in his ear, and his whole body tingled. She stumbled slightly, as she had to stand on her tippy-toes in order to speak in his ear, he was much taller than her after all. He instinctively caught her, thinking she would fall, and she smirked at his reaction, holding his hands to her waste and she put her hands around his neck. Sasuke didn't feel like pulling away, and he was all too used to doing whatever he wanted to stop now. Karin put a hand around the back of his head, bringing his head down to meet hers, and pressing her lips against his. He didn't really move, in fact, he stopped moving, and she saw that he had opened his eyes. She held back a smirk, and deepened the kiss. She saw his eyes close, and she silently celebrated her victory. Before she could enjoy her victory, she heard a loud and distraught female voice, as Sasuke quickly broke away from her.

"What the hell?" Sasuke heard the familiar voice and stiffened, suddenly he didn't feel so dizzy.

Oh shit...


	3. The Original Story, Chapters 5-9

CHAPTER 5  
Chapter 5

Sakura felt sick, it had only been a few days, but already Sasuke was cheating on her.

"What the hell?!" She yelled, as Sasuke slowly turned to look at her, revealing a familiar red headed teen. She was very attractive, and Sakura remembered seeing her in the bathroom on the first day of school. So she really is a bitch.

"Shit.." Sasuke muttered, as Sakura took off for the nearest exit. She ran, but not quickly enough, Sasuke caught up to her pretty fast. "Sakura, let me explain!" He called. They passed Itachi and Ino on the way, Ino just scowled at him, while Itachi gave a stern but sympathetic look of disappointment.

Sasori over heard the commotion, and saw Sakura for a split second, tears in her eyes. For a moment his heart stopped.

Sakura booked it out a back door entrance and ran through a backyard, it took a while to finally get off the enormous premise. She started walking up the street, but only got so far before she heard Sasuke calling after her, her tears began pouring.

"Sakura! Stop!" Sasuke called, getting frustrated. "Sakura, relax! She just came onto me I didn't mean for that to happen, I swear."

"Really, Sasuke? You didn't mean to make out with her? You were holding her!"

"Sakura...I-"

"I thought you liked me? Were you just messing around with me then, like I'm some toy?!" Sakura was furious, and it made Sasuke a little nervous. He did kind of play around with girls, but he'd never been in a situation like this.

Fuck. Do I actually like her? Just say what she wants to hear. "I-I do like you! Why are you making such a big deal out of this?" The look on Sakura's face made him realize that that was in fact not what she wanted to hear. Ah shit, shouldn't have said that…

"Why? Because you were supposed to be here with me tonight!"

"Look I don't know what your deal is, but I said I was sorry, this isn't my fault!" Sasuke gently grabbed her by the shoulders.

Sakura just kept crying, and pushed Sasuke away.

Sasuke was fed up. "Whatever," He scoffed, "I don't want to deal with someone as clingy and annoying as you anyway." Sasuke said, walking away.

"Ugh, you bastard!" She screamed continuing to walk away, every step making her feat heavier, each tear than fell from her porcelain cheeks hitting the ground like rain. The huge house was still in view, the entire block must have been dedicated to the property. She reached a street corner, before she could walk across, a deep red sports car pulled up, and a vaguely familiar red head sat behind the wheel.

He looked up at her, as if waiting for her to get in herself, his face emotionless and dull, but his accented blueish green eyes gave him a dangerously handsome look than was very entrancing.

The window rolled down, and the passenger door opened. As she debated whether or not to get in this strangers car, a warm and familiar voice called out to her.

"Don't worry, it'll be alright." Itachi said, patting Ino's head.

"Itachi! What should we do?" Ino said, worried about Sakura storming out on her own. Itachi and Sasuke were their ride there so how would Sakura get home? Sakura often forgot to think things through, and reacted heavily on impulse.

"Is everything alright?" Said Sasori, Deidara following behind him.

"Hn, yeah, where is the princess?"

"Sakura? Well, thats the problem, Sakura ran off...Sasuke he..." Itachi started.

"Sasori?" Said Deidara as Sasori headed towards the back door. "Uh hey wait!" Deidara said, though he just stopped himself and smiled.

"What was that about?" Ino said, watching as Sasori quickly left the house.

"Well, he's probably got a thing for the princess hehe." Deidara said mischievously.

"What?! What makes you say that? And why do you call her that?" Ino said.

Deidara smirked at her, his sparkling blue eyes rivaled her sapphire orbs. "Hn, Sasori was the first one to call her princess. That should answer both of your questions, ne?"

Shit... Sasuke, what an Idiot. Sasori thought, passing group after group of drunk guys, most of which were older and clearly not in their right mind, some hitting on girls, trying to persuade them to go upstairs with them. Luckily, Hidan mostly invited older girls that were stronger in will and could fend for themselves, though Sakura didn't seem like one of them. She better be alright or else... Sasuke... Sasori thought deviously...

"Hey pretty lady, aren't you a hotty?" Sasori heard a maniacal voice, it sounded older, but clearly drunk.

"Ugh, get away from me!" Said a high voice, Sasori looked nervously at the scene. Brown hair…not Sakura, Sasori sighed in relief and approached the scene.

"Oh come on, thats such cute a skirt, you must have something cute underneath it too!" The man said reaching towards the girls skirt.

"Don't. Touch her." Sasori said with dull and serious eyes, grabbing the guys hand, stopping only once he heard a crack. Sasori put the other had on the girls shoulder, who looked at him with gleeming eyes.

"Ugh your that Akatsuki guy!" Said the guy now with a swelling wrist.

"Dude, you do not want to mess with any of them, I heard they killed somebody once! Lets get outa here!" Said another guy as the group ran away.

"Hnn..." Sasori muttered, "Are you alright?" He said looking at the girl with a blank expression.

"You saved me! Thank you Sasori-sama!" She said, her blond friend joining her in praising him.

"Your so cool Sasori! We love you!"

"Ugh, you bastard!" Sasori heard a familiar voice screaming from the other side of the fence, and saw Sasuke walking across the lawn and back to the house.

Without a word Sasori left the girls and headed after Sakura, his eyes meeting with Sasuke's momentarily, seeing that they were filled with anger, while Sasori's were emotionless as usual. Sasuke ignored him and walked into the house.

Suddenly he heard the screeching of car tires, as Sakura stood before him on the corner of the block, a deep red sports car in front of her. He thought for a moment that maybe she'd gotten a ride, but once she shifted and put her hand on the door frame he saw a dark red haired boy, with green eyes, staring at the road before him with danger.

Gaara...What the hell is he doing here? ...Sakura…

"Sakura." Sasori said, as Sakura spun around, her eyes, brimming with tears, while the previous stained her perfect face. He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. The state she was in was doing something to him he almost didn't know how to handle.

"Get in." Said Gaara, looking impatient. Sakura turned back, tensing her grip on the car.

"Sakura please." Sasori said, his face now showed worry. Sakura loosed her grip on the car, and Sasori took this chance and grabbed her right hand, bringing her around to face him. "Do not get in the car, Gaara is dangerous." Sasori stepped closer, looking her softly in the eyes. "Please, Sakura."

"Sasori..." Sakura muttered, since when did he care? Still, I can't go back to that house, not if Sasuke..not if he is still there... "I'm sorry...I just, I can't go back there."

"Sakura..." Sasori started, but she jumped into the car, and was barely in when Gaara took off. "Sakura! ...fuck." Sasori's heart sunk as he watched the car, with his princess inside, disappear into the night.

CHAPTER 6  
Chapter 6

"Was that your boyfriend?" Gaara said, after about 10 minutes of silence, he was an incredibly fast driver, Sakura couldn't imagine where they would be going at this speed. They probably covered quite a distance by now.

"Uh no..." She said. Did her and Sasori really give off that impression? She recalled Sasori's face as he begged her not to leave. Why was he being so nice anyway? She blushed at the thought, that maybe he…

"Who was then?" Gaara said. She was confused at the question.

"Who?" What did he mean exactly?

"Your face. Either you were dumped, or cheated on. Which one?" He said. Sakura looked shocked.

"B-both..." She said, her tears overflowing.

"Who was it?"

"Sasuke U-" Gaara instantly got an angered expression on previously emotionless face. "Uchiha..."

"Figures, that bastard..." Gaara growled.

"Eh um...why do you hate Sasuke?" Too curious now to change the subject. Gaara emanated hatred, and did seem dangerous.. What did Sasori mean by that anyway?

"So...Sasori thinks I'm dangerous eh?" Gaara said as he smirked completely ignoring her question. Sakura felt a chill up her spine. What the hell, is this guy psychic or something?

"Are you?" She said in a shaky voice.

"Well. That's up to you, isn't it." He said in a matter of fact tone, not really asking.

Sakura looked over at Gaara, he was very good looking, even with the light eyeliner he put on. She kinda liked it...Okay she kinda really liked it! It did make him look dangerous, but so far he'd been nothing but kind to her. The night was still young though…

"So, do you think I'm dangerous?" Gaara said, looking dull once again, looking at Sakura.

Sakura thought for a moment. Gaara was at a stop light, looking over at her, making her blush from the intensity of his stare. "No I don't." She said confidently.

Gaara looked a little surprised, making Sakura smile her cute little grin. The light turned green and Gaara sat there for a moment, then an evil smirk crossed his face. She was actually having fun! She didn't feel entirely comfortable, but she had gone with him of her own free will, and this seemed to be the adrenaline rush she was looking for!

"Is that so." He said, darkly, as Sakura felt her heart jump a little. "I guess I have all night to convince you otherwise. So... hold on tight." He said the last part quietly, so Sakura barely heard. Gaara took off going straight from 0 to 60, and it was only faster from there.

Sakura felt as if she'd fly out if he kept going faster, which he did. She held onto the seat belt as tight as she could. She peeked over at the speedometer, that slowly was rising from 90. What the...How can he be going this fast, and keep going faster? I'm going to die! I'm going to...

"Relax." She heard Gaara say, Sakura opened her eyes, surprised that everything was very quiet, whatever road they were on, it was so very quiet. even though they were still going blazing fast. She felt the wind blow through her hair, and it was surprisingly calming. Gaara slowed the car down a little, Making a U-turn.

"I'm guessing your ride home is still at Uchiha's?" Gaara asked, not really intending to take her back, just curious as to who it was.

"Well, Sasuke was my ride, but if you take me back his brother can probably take me home..." She said, somewhat disappointed that Gaara didn't offer yet to take her home himself.

"Ha, well there's no way I'm taking you back there. Damn Uchiha..." Gaara said.

Sakura blushed as Gaara stopped the car, he'd pulled up to a dimly lit house. The neighborhood was so quiet, and much darker than most neighborhoods. A few other cars were parked on the street, but it was impossible to see inside any of them.

"Is...is this your house?" She asked nervously, as Gaara flipped forward the cup holder, connecting the seats, making the seats unite like a couch.

"No." Gaara said, unbuckling Sakura's seat belt, and slowly putting a hand seductively around her neck, helping her to look him straight in the eyes. She sat there frozen in his gaze, as he skillfully positioned him under her by pulling her legs onto the seat. He still had his hands on her leg and he began to slide it upwards, bringing it up around her thigh. She gasped, the sensation was incredible, he could feel her pulse rising from the hand that was still around her neck. He closed the space in between their lips, fiercely kissing her, biting slightly, causing an intentional amount of pain, making Sakura arch up into his frame. She remembered her kiss with Sasuke, but it was nothing like this. Her heart fluttered like mad, she was terrified, and she loved it. His hand continued getting higher, as he slipped it under her dress. Sakura felt a pulse of blissful pressure surge through her, but right then Gaara pulled away. Smirking down at Sakura's wanting eyes, her lips dripping with lust and desire, pleading for more.

"So Sakura, do you still think I'm not dangerous? Are you scared?" He said, her mouth formed the words but before she could say it, she felt his hand graze over her tender area, while his other hand slipped around her neck, tugging at the cleavage line in her dress. "Are you scared? Sakura?" He repeated, whispering seductively in her ear, sucking on her soft skin.

"Y-yes.." She said, arching into him, his voice rumbling against her neck, eyes tearing up. Confused, terrified, but aroused, she genuinely didn't know if this was what she wanted or not.

"Heh, good." He said, smirking, deciding to spend the rest of the night taking Sakura for himself right there.

The night got away from her quickly, and in a desperate attempt to forget the betrayal and humiliation caused by Sasuke, she let herself get into yet another very compromising position. Underneath a gorgeous redhead, with enchanting black lined teal eyes. They bore into her, along with other parts of his body...

Sakura was scared of him, but not nearly as scared as she was of her friends finding out she was with Gaara all night, in more ways than one.

CHAPTER 7  
Chapter 7

Class was starting, and already Sakura knew school was going to be uncomfortable. It was already apparent that Sasuke was ignoring her, and to her surprise, and relief, Gaara was not yet present in class. She was too nervous to see him now, and she really didn't want people finding out about their encounter, especially so soon after her dramatic falling out with Sasuke.

The end of school came, finally, but not until after Sakura had caught the eye of nearly every student. She could tell people were looking at her, and it seemed people were also whispering.

Days went by, and it seemed her only friend at this point was Ino. Since Sasuke was sitting at the Akatsuki table during lunches, Ino and Sakura didn't get much time to speak with them. Sakura almost missed the dark brown eyes watching her all week, as she was too embarrassed and uncomfortable with her shattered social standing to acknowledge any attention directed towards her from the Akatsuki.

The end of the week came quickly, and after dodging everyone throughout the rest of the week, Sakura sighed in relief as she left the building, looking forward to the rumor-less, drama-less weekend.

"Sakura." She heard, as a soft hand grabbed her wrist. She spun around, stunned, as Sasori looked down at her with a relaxed face. He was so hard for her to read, and she couldn't tell if he was trustworthy. "I want to talk to with you, would you come with me?" He said in a kind tone. Sakura's heart was beating heavily, but she nodded her head and followed him, he let go of her wrist.

Sasori took a deep breath. There was something really special about Sakura, but he couldn't figure it out. She had caught his eye from the moment she walked into school, and for whatever reason, he wanted to protect her. He didn't even know where he was leading her to, somewhere quiet. The last thing she needed was a crowd watching them, but he also didn't want her to feel cornered by him. It was a longer walk, but they finally stopped when they reached the football field. No practices today meant no one in sight, plenty of open space, and a beautiful view of the nearby park.

Sasori stopped, and slowly turned to face Sakura. She looked up at him with wide green eyes, framed perfectly by her pink locks. He resisted the various urged he was being overcome with.

"Are you doing okay, kiddo?" He asked softly.

"Y-yea, I'm fine!" She said in a very fake chipper voice.

"Sakura…" She was pretty easy for him to read.

Sakura kept smiling, even as tears began to brim in her eyes. He gently pulled her into his arms, and she let herself cry into his chest. Sasori hoped she couldn't hear the rise in his heart beat.

"Sakura." He said, pulling her away just enough to look her in the eye. "Will you tell me what happened Saturday night?"

She looked at him with guilt in her eyes, and honestly she didn't know where to start... "Gaara...did he... did he hurt you?"

Sakura smiled for a moment and shook her head. "No." She looked down, not particularly proud of her actions. Still though, Gaara didn't make her do anything she didn't want to do.

"Is this about Sasuke then?" Sasori said. If it were just Gaara, I could intervene, but Sasuke is...a special case. "What he did was wrong. And unfair to you. I'm so sorry Sakura."

"I just...I thought.." Sakura started.

"I know, I'm sorry, Sasuke ju-" Sasori started.

"No, Sasori, please. Just…I Just-" The tears were gone, much to Sasori's surprise, and confidence resonated in her tone. "I just wanted to be friends with you, and Deidara, and Konan...And even Sasuke. I...I really thought I liked him, and maybe I still do but..More than anything, I wanted to fit in." She said, surprising herself with the ease in which she could open up to the red head before her. "Instead, I just embarrassed myself and ruined everything." She turned her head away in guilt.

Sasori smiled, and sighed in relief that that was the only thing to be concerned about here. "Sakura, forget about that, about Sasuke. He fucked up. I won't make excuses for him, though, he wasn't always so...difficult." Sasori though back for a moment, remembering a young, smiling Sasuke. "You do have friends, and people wanting to be your friends." And people who want to be more than that... He thought to himself. There was no way he could tell her how he felt now...

She looked up at him, with sweet green eyes, and a warm smile. She seemed relieved, "Don't worry about fitting in. You should just be yourself. And you should hang out with us more!" He said, his voice calm and somewhat distant, just by his nature. It didn't help that he now felt he shouldn't get too close to her. "Not all of us bite." He gave her a wink, I can still tease, right? He started walking them away from the field, through a small branch of the nearby park, and eventually back to school, where he waved, to her. Once again, he watched his princess disappear.

The week had been long and annoying. Black eyes stared at back at black eyes.

Sasuke studied his face in the mirror, water dripping down his unclothed skin. Skin he didn't recognize, skin he hated. Why he felt that way was never clear, and nothing he did to try and fill the empty void in his stomach ever made any difference. The naked red head lying in his bed was yet one more semblance of proof.

What is wrong with me. He can't seem to find any answers, or feel anything, as foggy memories from his past swim behind those tired, black eyes staring back at him.

He sees an ignorant, weak child. Black hair, black eyes, something warm and wet sticking to his feet. Eyes widened in horror.

He blinks, breaking his trance, until black are once again, looking at black eyes.

"Sasukeeee!" He hears a sleepy voice calling for him, knots forming in his stomach.

"Now that you're up, you should leave." He said, lightly clothing himself, hoping the red headed girl would get up and do the same.

"Aww, come on Sasuke. You don't want to play anymore?" She said teasingly.

"No. Karin. Now please, just get out." He said more sternly, hoping she would get the message.

"Fiiine, but call me okay? Let's do this again sometime." She said, giving him a wink, and a peck on the cheek as she left the bed, gathering her scattered clothes.

Sasuke left the room shortly after, pacing through the large house before finding himself in the kitchen. He didn't at all like school, but at least it gave some structure to his otherwise meaningless life. The weekends were hard for him.

"Good morning Sasuke." Said a warm feminine voice. He was at ease with this presence, admiting to himself that it was nice to be around a girl that didn't want to sleep with him.

"Konan." He said, a curt response, but she smiled at the acknowledgement.

"I'm making pancakes, do you want chocolate chips?" She said, as he looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, right! Just kidding! No sweet things. How about eggs, with tomatoes..?" She said, watching, and tracking his mysterious expressions. Sasuke looked down, flipping through a magazine on the counter. Konan smiled, that was about all the approval Sasuke would give.

Yahiko was still passed out on the couch. It was Sunday morning, and the group had thrown a small party the night before. Nothing major, no big invitations. Just music, drinks, free food, and for some, a romp in one of the luxurious bedrooms within the mansion. Konan put a plate down in front of Sasuke, who muttered a soft "Thank you," and began picking at his food. He appreciated Konan's presence, and though he wouldn't admit it to himself, she was the closest thing to a mother he'd ever known.

"The maids will be here in a few hours." Itachi said as he walked into the kitchen, taking a seat near Sasuke. "Breakfast smells wonderful Konan. Thank you for making it." He said in a very courteous and polite tone. Itachi ignored him and continued speaking, "We will need to have everyone out of here by then. Including that pretty red-head, Sasuke."

"She's already gone." Sasuke said in an icy tone, wanting nothing more than for Itachi to leave and never come back, he thought.

"Oh, well that's too bad. We all could have gone out together." Itachi said, in a calm and kind tone. "It would be nice if some of the girls you were with stuck around a bit." Sasuke stopped moving, waiting for his brother to be done. "I really liked that other girl, with the pink hair? Sakura, was it? You should bring her back some time." Itachi knew damn well who she was, now he was just fucking around with Sasuke, teasing him, and he wasn't up for it.

Sasuke dropped his fork and pushed his chair back loudly. "Shut up. Leave me alone." He scoffed, leaving a near full plate, and a concerned Konan behind. As much as Konan tried to be a motherly figure, Itachi tried to be the equivalent of a father, but Sasuke disdained him for it. Hi did have a father once, and no he wasn't a perfect father.. But he had a good life, before his it was ruined by a certain someone.

"Itachi...you really shouldn't pester him like that, I don't think it's helping." Yahiko said, sleepily entering the now quiet kitchen.

"I've got to do something soon, or he'll keep getting worse." Itachi said solemnly, giving Yahiko and Konan plenty cause for concern. "I really thought Sakura would be able to help, but he's rejecting that possibility too now."

"Itachi, it'll be okay. He's had a crush on her since...what, 3rd grade? That won't just dissappear so easily." Konan said, remembering a gleeming young Sasuke, looking up at her with a reddened smiling face, showing her a heart encircled crayon drawing of a pretty pink haired girl in his class.

"It won't matter if he keeps pushing her away. And I wouldn't blame her for anything after what he's done." Itachi said, and he was right, the other two fell silent.

Like most days, Sasuke decided to head to Naruto's, where he could be left alone. Naruto wasn't exactly the quiet type, and for a long time he was more inquisitive than anything. However, Naruto understood him, and they had a lot more in common than most of their other friends. At the very least, there wasn't a fake family there trying to mold him into someone he thought he couldn't be, even if he wanted to.

It wasn't long before class was starting again on Monday morning. Gaara had been absent the entire week previously, leaving Sakura wondering so many things with no words to express them. When she got there, moments before the first bell, she was both nervous and surprised to see him there. She quietly approached her seat, wondering if he would look at her, ignore her, be angry, be happy, smile... Unfortunately, he seemed to do nothing.

Hours had passed, lunch was almost here, but he hadn't budged. His arms were crossed, head down, slouched in his seat, is he even breathing? I should talk to him later today...

She was so distracted by the tension she felt emanating from the red head sitting in front of her, she didn't even hear her name being called.

"Sakura?" She heard Kakashi say, for the third time. Her attention snapped immediately to the center of the room. "Sakura, did you hear me?" He said again. Obviously she didn't, as she had no idea what he was talking about.

"No sir, sorry." She said, somewhat embarrassed.

Kakashi sighed. "Okay, someone else then." He looked down at his chart for a moment. "Gaara?" There was silence, but only for a moment.

"Fuck off." An horse and chilling voice reached nearly everyone in the room. Kakashi stood there stunned for a moment, utter shock on the face of the students. Sakura shrunk back into her seat, looking forward with wide eyes.

"Um, excuse me?" Kakashi said, as calmly as he could.

"Fuck. Off." Gaara said, rising slightly in his seat, giving Kakashi a cold and wicked glare. Few people could see what Kakashi was seeing, but his face softened somewhat, and he decided to go easy on the boy. "Hallway, now." He said, still able to remain calm. Gaara got up, shoving the things that had been on his desk onto the floor, and stuck his hands in his pockets while storming out the door.

Students began whispering, as Kakashi stepped out into the hallway. "What the hell was that?" Sakura said, turning to her neighbors.

"I dunno, that kid has always been scary." Shikamaru said in a dull tone, probably the least surprised person in the class.

"I heard he beat a bunch of kids up in his middle school!" Chouji chimed in.

"You mean he didn't go to Konoha Middle school?" Ino asked.

"Nah, he went to some place on the other end of the city. Suna-something."

"Sunagakure." Sasuke said flatly.

"Huh, that sounds familiar." Naruto said, taking a seat closer to them. The student were all talking among themselves, except for Shino and Hinata.

"It's because Sasori went there." Sasuke said, he looked up from his desk for a moment, catching Sakura's eye, before turning away and looking back down on his desk. Sakura frowned, but was interested by the information she just learned.

So Sasori went to the same middle school as Gaara? How much does Sasori know about him?

"Sorry class, everyone back in your seats, let's get back to work." Kakashi said, entering the classroom. *BZZZZZ* The lunch bell had just rung. "Ugh. Great. Well, don't forget, your first test is Friday! Chapters 2-9!" He yelled over the bustle of students.

Naruto skipped through the classroom, backwards "Sasuke, let's go!" He called, not watching where he was going. He turned around, but not before slamming right into one very startled Hinata. "Woah, sorry Hinata." He said, slightly surprised that he remembered her name. She looked up at him for a moment with startled and scared eyes, making the tall blond freeze. She let out a whimper, and a shrill "S-sorry!" before tripping out the door. Naruto just stood there, stunned, not sure what to make of what he'd just seen, or felt. He snapped out of it, just in time to see Shino's dark glare as he walked around him.

"Way to go." Sasuke said as he passed him, whacking him on the head. Naruto let himself blink again, and laughed himself back to normalcy. When he reached the hallway, he saw Shino and Hinata at the far end of the hall, the latter was hiding her face in her hands. Is she crying? For some reason, Naruto felt concern for her, and maybe something else...

Before Sakura left the classroom, she picked up Gaara's things. I should try and find him, it'd be the perfect opportunity to speak with him.

Unfortunately it was easier said than done. Gaara never went to the principle like he was supposed to, and no one in the office had seen him. She couldn't find him in the near empty halls, and he was no where to be found in the lunch room.

"Hey Sakura." She heard a familiar and soft voice behind her. She turned to face him with a smile.

"Sasori!" What perfect timing. "Hey, I have something to ask you."

CHAPTER 8  
Chapter 8

"This is about Gaara? Sakura..." Sasori said in a concerned tone. "I told you, he's dangerous, you shouldn't mess with him."

"Hey! I'm not a little girl, okay?" Sakura said in a snappy tone, but took a deep breath. He probably didn't mean anything by it, her recent behavior was less than impressive, she still had a lot to prove. "Look, I can take of my self. If you don't want to help me, you don't have to." She said in a calmer tone.

"Of course I'll help you..just, tell me this." Sasori took a deep breath, trying to carefully word his thoughts. "Last week, when you two left together..." Sakura's face turned solemn, which gave him his answer. So, I guess they did... "He didn't hurt you, right? Force you to...do anything?"

She felt shame for her actions, but it was true, he didn't make her do anything. She looked down with a quilt twisted grin, "No, he didn't. Let's not talk about it okay?" Shaking herself off, she picked herself up, and looked up at the red head standing in front of her with worry in his eyes. "I need help looking for him. He left some things in class. But also..." He raised an eyebrow at the curious tone she was picking up. "I...want to know everything you know about him."

Years ago, while Sasori was still a student at Sunagakure Middle School, there was a new student in the first year class that garnered a lot of attention. He was smaller than most of the students, and seemed pretty weak. His quiet nature, unique appearance, and awkward social behavior made him a target for the bigger bullies. It only took a few teasings before the kid snapped, and fought back. If it had stopped there, his actions might have been heroic, but the young boy wasn't just strong for his size. He was also devious. After he fought back against his bullies, he continued to torment them, and he even got in fights outside of school. People assumed he'd joined some kind of street gang, he always came to school with a new cut or bruise.

"Wow, so...did you actually see these fights happen?" Sakura said.

"I saw a few...That school had some serious problems, I think it's gone through a major reform now, but back then there was a huge issue with violence." Sasori said, I guess I'm not one to talk though, I wonder what she'd think if she knew some of the things I've done...

"Do you really think he's that dangerous? I... don't know if I can believe all of that, what if it's just rumors." Sakura said, she had sensed something from Gaara that was good, she could tell.

Sasori was genuinely surprised by her approach to what he was telling her. "Maybe. I guess people can change.." He thought, not just talking about Gaara at this point.

During their conversation, they'd covered most of the school, inside and out. They were getting ready to head back to class, as lunch was minutes away from being over when they saw Gaara heading back to the homeroom. They followed after him, and Sasori motioned for Sakura to go in by herself while he waited outside.

Gaara was standing near the desk, looking down at the ground, contemplating his actions, and wondering where his stuff had gone.

"Hey." Sakura said, her heart racing when the redhead turned to look at her. He seemed frustrated, and she knew it was going to be a difficult conversation starter to hand him his belongings, which she didn't really have any right taking in the first place. More than anything though, she noticed a dark, but small bruise on his cheek, and a cut just above his eyebrow on the same side. He looked hurt, but not just physically."Here..." She held out the backpack, containing papers and books that she had put back as neatly as possible.

He took it from her, slowly saying nothing, and keeping eye contact with her. She tried not to look like she was staring, but it wasn't easy to look away.

"Are you okay?" She said, genuinely wondering, not really knowing what else to say.

Now he looked frustrated and confused. "What?"

"Are...you, okay?" She said, again, completely sure at this point she was just making things worse.

He looked away, "Do I look okay?" He said bitterly. It was a good point, he really didn't...

"I'm sorry, I just..."

"Forget it. I..I'm not okay. But thanks anyway." He said, turning away from her, dropping his backpack by the desk and leaning back onto it.

"Do...you want to talk about it?"

"No."

Sakura looked down awkwardly, as the tension skyrocketed with each second that passed. I should leave him alone..I'm just making it fumbled with her hands for a few more moments, and backed up getting ready to leave. Gaara's face softened for a moment and he took a deep breath.

"I just don't like being here." Gaara said quietly.

Oh my god, is he actually opening up to me? "Where would you rather be?" She said in a gentle voice. Gaara turned to her with slight surprise in his eyes.

"At my sisters place..." He said. "She lives on the far end of the city."

"Is that where you were last week?" Sakura said, the boy in front of her now seemed so much more fragile than the dark and devious boy she was with just a few weeks ago. The eye contact sprinkled throughout their conversation was intense, and her heart was fluttering. He just nodded in response.

"So...those marks on your face..." As she started to ask, he looked at her, a similar hurt look in his eye.

*BZZZZZ* The bell had rung, signalling that lunch was over. Sakura heard a knock on the door. Shit, I can't leave Sasori out there.

The door slid open, and Sasori stood in the door way. "You okay, Sakura?" He said in a concerned tone, eyeing Gaara with subtle disdain.

"Yea, everything is fine, sorry to leave you out there."

Gaara's eyes turn cold at the sight of Sasori, and the softness disappeared, replaced once again by that dangerous hatred that he seemed all too comfortable with. "So, are you her handler now?" He said in a demeaning tone, laced with aggression.

Sasori's eyes narrowed, "I'm just making sure she's safe."

"That's rich. Since when could you keep anyone safe." Gaara got up from his desk and menacingly approached the other young man, until they were inches apart. "Who's gonna keep her safe from you?" Gaara whispered.

"Enough!" Sakura said, "Sasori, let's go. Now." She snapped, pulling on his arm, as they left the classroom. Sakura looked back sympathetically at an embittered Gaara as the door closed behind her. The halls were now bustling, and

"Shit, I'm sorry. That could have gotten very bad." Sasori said, calming down. "I shouldn't have gone in."

"I told you, I can take care of myself." Sakura said, "I was pretty nervous though...He's intense. I felt like Hinata!" She giggled.

"Hyuuga?" Sasori said, inquisitively.

"Yea, you know her?"

"Of course," He smiled. "She's brilliant."

"Like...smart?" She said, confused at both the statement, and the idea that Sasori seemed to know her well. How would anyone get to know her?

"Well, she's probably really smart to, but that's not what I mean." The halls were flooded by now, and he was hard for her to hear. "I'll see you later, okay!" He walked away in a slow run, class was probably starting soon. She barely caught a glimpse of him smiling at waving at someone he had just passed, and when the bodies began to clear, she saw something rather unique. A smiling Hinata, with a glimmer of confidence shining in her lovely lavender eyes. In moments, it was gone, and her eyes disappeared under her bangs, with her confidence lost in the crowd. Sakura was ever curious about her...

Club activities were starting today, and the final bell had just rung. Gaara was still distant all throughout class, but the hateful intent from earlier had dissipated somewhat. Sakura had wondered what club he was in, since it was mandatory for all students. She wouldn't have been surprised if he had instead chosen not to go to any club, since he was clearly the rebellious type.

The last thing she expected was to walk in to the Konoha pool room, and see the familiar red head, shirtless, sitting at the edge of deep end.

"Hey there pretty lady!" Deidara called playfully to her, "You're just in time! Alright everyone, line up, lets do some reps!" He called. Sakura did her best to ignore the fact that she and Gaara were both half naked, and within feet of each other. Even when they were doing that they were mostly clothed.

He was a surprisingly good swimmer, but no one was faster than Suigetsu, a mysterious white haired student with a goofy grin. Sakura was in awe. She'd been in various sports and activities since she was a kid, and swimming was her forte, but he seemed to be unattainably fast.

When practice came to an end, Sakura was already feeling sore and tired from the rigorous regimen Deidara had devised for them. With only a few other girls on the team, the lockers were relatively empty when it came time for her to get changed. Fresh out of the shower, suit still on, she was met with smirking teal eyes. "It looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other now, eh?" He said, leaning back on the lockers.

"I guess so.." she said nervously. I guess he's feeling better. "How long have you been swimming?"

"A few days." His answer shocked her, and she spun around to see that he was getting closer to her.

"A few days?! You're already so good!" He leaned against the locker next to the one she was fishing her things out of. She tried to hide the fact that she was now blushing at the proximity. He was already clothed, and yet she was still in her one piece. "Is..that why you joined the team?"

"Nah, I was assigned to the this by my counselor. Being good was just a coincidence." She turned to him slowly as he moved his body closer to hers. "Just like you being here as well, is a coincidence." His arm rested just above her head as he stared down at her. She backed herself against the locker door, and she could feel warmth coming from him. Her heart was beating loudly, and she was sure he could hear it. "Us meeting at the party was a coincidence too, I wonder how I keep getting so lucky." He said in a devilish tone, leaning in and giving her a light kiss. "Sakura...I-"

A rear side door was heard being opened and then slammed shut, soft footsteps pitter pattering ever closer. Sakura gently put her hand against Gaara's chest and pushed him away as she turned back towards the locker just in time for them to be in the line of sight of the intruder. It was Hinata, "I-I'm sorry!" She said in a shrill tone, fumbling with one of the lockers, grabbing a plastic wrapped parcel and several other items that she clumsily dropped across the ground.

Gaara seemed upset, but Sakura instead quickly threw a shirt and sweats on over her slightly damp suit. "Do you mind?!" Gaara said in an aggresive tone, glaring at Hinata.

"I-I'm so s-sorry!" Hinata whimpered, trying to gather her things with shaky hands.

Sakura shut her locker, swung her bag over her head, and knelt down to pick up some of Hinata's things. "Sorry Gaara, Hinata and I actually have somwhere to go. Can we talk later instead?" She said in a cool tone, as she grabbed the rest of Hinata's things and headed out of the changing room. Hinata's face was a deep red, as she followed after Sakura, utterly confused.

Deidara watched them with a smile as they left, knowing full well where they would end up.

"So. Where are we going?" Sakura said once they had reached the hallway.

Hinata looked up, surprised, "T-the theatre room."

"Theatre? You? You're in theatre?" Sakura said, not really meaning to sound so surprised. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong..."

"It's okay." Hinata said. She led them to the theatre practice room, where they were met by a few more familiar faces.

"Hi Sakura!" Said Konan, "Hinata, is that the piece?" She said, approaching Hinata, who nodded and handed the parcel in her arms to the blue haired beauty. Konan gently slipped a lavender dress out of the package, holding it up in front of her. "It's going to be beautiful! Let's go get your measurements." She said in a kind tone, Hinata smiled at her and nodded once more, and they left.

"Alright everyone, well done!" Sakura heard a familiar voice. "Casting will be ready by next week, and we have two more sessions until we start rehearsal for the mid year performance, so keep it up." The male voice said.

"Sasori?" She said quietly, walking through the room to peek into the stage area where she saw Sasori standing above a group of students. So, he's the drama club leader? A few other familiar faces were in the group. Hidan, who's charisma and over the top behavior seemed too perfect for such an activity. She also saw Karin, gossiping to a few other girls as they passed by Sakura. "We already know who's going to be lead, talk about favoritism..." Karin said, scoffing.

Karin almost didn't see Sakura there, but when she did, she gave her a wicked smirk just before leaving the room. Sakura furrowed her brow, deciding it would be best to leave. Shit, I still have Hinata's stuff. What is with me today, getting stuck with other peoples things...?

"Sakura?" Hidan called, seeing her standing there, looking lost in thought. "What are you doing here, princess?"

"Oh, Hi there, Hidan. I um..came here with Hinata." She said sheepishly.

"Really?" He said, almost as surprised as she was. "Oh, from the changing rooms by the pool, right?" He said, eyeing the parcels in her hand.

"Yea. Hey, do you know what these are for? I should probably get going." She said.

"Sure, that's costume material. Sasori asked Hinata to hold on to it. Konan is going to help us fit the cast with it." Hidan said, offering his hand to take the parcels from her, tossing it into a nearby bin, filled with similar parcels. The two walked into the hall together.

"That makes sense, but...can I ask you something?" She leaned in, "Is Hinata really cut out for this kind of thing?" She whispered.

He started laughing, "Yea, I wonder! I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Hidan patted her head, and walked past her into the hall. "Later princess!" And with that, they parted ways.

CHAPTER 9  
Chapter 9

Now that the flow of school had become more natural, things were going by rather quickly for Sakura. She had rejoined the Akatsuki table with confidence, Ino joining her. With Sasori's support, Sakura ignored the stares and glares thrown her way by a very sulky Sasuke. She even began to truly enjoy the unique personalities of Akatsuki. Deidara and Hidan were the clowns of the group, the blonde was slightly more considerate, while the latter was far more crass in his humor. Yahiko and Konan were as cute together as ever, and had since revealed that they would be attending college together. Itachi was as calm, smooth, and charming as ever, and made sure to remind everyone that the first quarter finals were fast approaching. And then there was Sasori. Sakura saw him like an older brother, and she couldn't quite understand why he was so protective of her, but she appreciated it. She had become so comfortable talking to him, though there were things she still couldn't find the guts to share.

The biggest thing she was keeping from him was her confusing, exciting relationship with Gaara. In class he was quiet, aloof, giving her intense eye contact and the occasional smirk...but after school, he seemed entirely different. Sharing small vague bits of information about himself, she felt intrigued and moved by him. She could sense something dark behind those teal eyes. Something more than the occasional cuts and bruises that appeared on his face and arms. Wounds he continuously denied, and refused to explain to her. Sometimes they'd sit around some nearby park, Gaara staring at seemingly nothing while she did homework. Other times, they were parked in a dark alley, clawing at each others clothing, among other things. It was an easy thing to fall into, a kind of release they both seemed to want, but never wanted to talk about. Sakura wondered if they could ever actually date. Be in a relationship. She didn't think she loved him, but she did feel something. Every time they were together she was yearning to figure that something out, and it was why she kept going back.

Occasionally she would drop by the theatre practice room to hear Hidan's booming and dramatic voice monologue-ing over the other student actors. A quiet, whispy, drowning Hinata could sometimes be heard underneath. "HIDAN!" Sasori yelled mid-skit. "TONE. IT. DOWN." He said sternly, Sakura had never heard him yell before, it was startling. It got the message across though. Hidan flashed him a pouting face, and his tongue, before picking up his lines again.

Sakura giggled, heading to her locker to gather her things. Gaara was close by, waiting for her.

"We should go to your place some time." He said, as they quietly walked out of the near empty school together.

"Ha! No. I don't think so." She said, her home was the last place she wanted to bring a boy to.

"Why? Stiff parents?"

"Nah, it's.. kind of the opposite."

"So what then? Sounds like they wouldn't mind us fuckin' around?" He said in a joking tone, nudging at her arm.

"It's not funny!" She said, hiding a blush, "Look, I'm not exactly proud of...being...you know." She was blushing, they hadn't really openly talked about this. "Active." Come to think of it, she hadn't told this to anyone. "I just wouldn't want them to know. Or even consider that I might be..."

"Oh, so you wanna keep up the good girl act. I get it." Gaara said, his raspy voice gave Sakura chills. She had a hard time discerning the difference between her lust for him and the possibility that she might be falling for the dangerous young man. They reached his car, and he drove them to a nice, calm, scenic cliff side park overlooking to face carving statues.

"So. Was I your first?" He said, in a curious tone. He had rolled down the topside window, and was laying back in his seat, staring at the sky. Sakura was fumbling with some books in her bag, but froze at the question.

"Honestly?" She was having a hard time looking at him. "No.."

"It's okay, I'm not that surprised." He said calmly. She spun around to glare at him.

"What the hell does that mean?!" She snapped.

"Relax! I didn't mean it like that." He said, unintentionally laughing at her anger. It was so menial in comparison to the kind of anger he'd experienced, it was almost comical. "I just figured, with you being...well... You...it's hard for a guy to resist." She blushed at his honesty.

"Still, I'm not sure that's a compliment." She said, feeling guilty.

Gaara sat up slowly, looking at her, studying the sad glimmer in her lovely emerald eyes. To him, she resembled an angel, the embodiment of innocence. She seemed sheltered, like she'd lived a good life. It was the life he wanted, but being close to her like this was good enough for him. Everyday he had to try and convince himself he wasn't falling in love with her.

"What about you?" said it teasingly, as she was sure Gaara had been with girls long before her. He did after all seem rather experienced.

"Just one."

"...what?" She said, not sure she understood what he had just said.

"So far, there's just been one."

Sakura was blushing heavily. The notion that she was really the first person he ever chose to become intimate with was almost too much for her. Maybe he was in love with her…this stunning, sensitive boy, might actually be in love with her. She was flattered, but it scared her too. She began to feel like she wasn't mature enough to be dealing with the intensity that was thickening the air in the car. He sat up, and moved the hair blocking her face to sit just behind her ear.

"Sakura…" he whispered, before leaning forward and kissing her passionately. His hands cupped her face, pulling her into him.

"G-Gaara, stop. We're too exposed here." She said, she looked around. There were several people walking around in the park.

"Relax, no one is watching." He said, his tone sounding more aggressive. She could tell by his tone where things were going. She might have been up for it under different circumstances, but the suddenness of finding out his side of things had put her off. Before it was just sex. It was adrenaline, pure and simple. Now it seemed like there might be something else, and it scared her… It didn't help that they really were exposed, even with few people around it didn't feel right.

He was ravaging her neck with his soft lips, pulling at her jacket and groping at her waist. "Gaara, please just stop it." He didn't seem to be listening to her, and suddenly she felt a sharp ping of fear shoot through her. "Stop!" She yelled at him, pushing him away with great force. When he saw the look on her face her froze, realizing what he was doing.

"Sakura, I'm sorry.." She gathered her things and got out of the car. "Sakura!" He called after her, getting out on the other side. "Hey, I'm sorry, Sakura!"  
She began running, tears in her eyes. "Fuck!" Gaara turned around and hit his car, just before a strong fist, seemingly from nowhere, met his face and knocked him to the ground.

"What the hell did you do to her?!" He heard, but all he saw was pavement as stars danced in his painfully blurred vision.

She didn't think they had driven that far from school, but the walk back was dragging on and she was tiring from the heat. She was sweating pretty heavily by now, and suddenly she didn't recognize where she was. I guess I should just call mom, ugh. This will be a pain in the ass to explain. By now her makeup had been smeared from the tears. While rummaging through her bag, her heart skipped a beat when there was no cellphone to be found. "Shit shit shit!" She looked around, but there was nothing but an empty road, and a long sidewalk. She started to walk again, and she was starting to get nervous. I shouldn't have run off like that…This is a lot worse. Besides, he did seem sorry.

A lone car slowly drove by, windows rolled up, and Sakura watched it nervously as is made a sudden U-turn. She panicked, and thought about running, the heat had gone to her head and she was fearing the worst. Within seconds, the car had pulled up next to her and the passenger window rolled down.

"Hi S-Sakura. Do you n-need a ride?"

Gaara was picked up by the collar and slammed against his car. "What the fuck did you do to her?! Huh?!" He was stunned, everything had happened so fast. With so much else on his mind he was slower than he normally would be in a fight, but he recognized the voice soon enough. Sasori…fuck…

"Answer me you little shit!" Sasori punched him again, but Gaara was able to better brace himself now, snickering to himself while blood dripped out of his mouth.

"I bet she'd love to see you like this." Gaara's was dark, and as dangerous as ever.

Sasori's eyes widened, throwing Gaara hard against his car before backing up a bit.

"How did you even know she was here? Are you stalking her now?" He said, teasing him, trying to get under his skin.

Sasori looked embarrassed, but still dangerously enraged. He was clenching his fists repeatedly, debating whether or not to punch Gaara again.

"You're just jealous that she's let me get in her panties, and not you." Gaara was seriously pushing his luck now. "I wonder how much you actually know about her. You sure as hell don't know how cute she looks when she's," He lowered his tone, leaning in, "squirming underneath me.." Gaara had gotten dangerously close to Sasori's face, who was stunned and speechless. "Those pretty little legs spread so easily-" That was the snapping point. Sasori kneed him in the stomach, and punched him hard. Gaara was spun around and caught himself on his car, spitting blood onto the pavement. Sasori was still in shock.

Gaara was endlessly amused by Sasori's wrath. He guessed that it had been a while since he'd gotten out of control like this. Somewhere deep down, Gaara felt guilty for using Sakura as bait, but luring out the violent monster hiding in this fraudulent honor student was too good of an opportunity to pass up. He got beat on a regular basis, so this wasn't all that hard on him.

"You know I'm not the only one, right?" He said, not actually sure how accurate his statement was, but at this point he was just using Sakura to mess with Sasori's head. In a way he almost enjoyed the violence, it was a way to accept punishment for objectifying her the way he had. He had begun to feel he deserved it.

Sasori seemed to be loosing it. "Oh, I guess you didn't know then." Gaara wiped the blood off his face. "Good news for you then. It should be easier for you to sleep with her."

Sasori seemed completely lost at this point. He must have known that she wasn't exactly a saint. He assumed she had done something rather intimate with Gaara the night of the party, and it was true that he had been watching them together since then. He didn't realize there were others, but then again, Gaara could just be trying to work him up. He was painfully being brought to terms with how much he actually liked her… Gaara looked at him with worry growing in his eyes.

"You think so little of me, but look at yourself. Just another worthless monster." Sasori knew he was right... If Sakura knew the kind of troublesome low life he had been, and probably still was, she'd want nothing to do with him either. "You're no better for her than I am."

Gaara genuinely hated Sasori, and they had quite a bit of history. Early on, when Gaara was younger and just starting to explore his more violent side, he was mugged by some local gang teens trying to make some quick cash. Sasori was their leader, and played them like puppets, deviously tricking them into all kinds of dirty deeds. Gaara was the son of a wealthy bureaucrat, and having money in the family made him an easy target. He had fought back that day, but it didn't make a difference. He could still remember Sasori's cold eyes just before loosing consciousness. Gaara knew he wasn't exactly innocent, as he had fallen into similar crowds at that time, and did so for a lot longer. Hell, he was still stuck in a bad crowd. Every time he left his abusive home to take refuge with his sister in the Suna district, his old criminal associates were there waiting for him. He did envy Sasori. Sakura clearly felt something special for him, and he'd finally gotten the peaceful life that Gaara too had wanted.

"Stop treating her like a child. She can take care of herself." Sasori seemed suprised by this, for a split second, Gaara showed some respect for her. "Obviously." Gaara motioned to path she'd taken when they parted ways.

Gaara wiped his face one more time, and opened his car to get in. Sasori put a hand on the door frame, and gave Gaara a very serious look, finally getting himself back together.

"I swear to god Gaara." His voice was laced with poison. "If I ever find out you've hurt her. You will be sorry." Gaara believed him, and as much as he had messed with Sasori, he knew full well he was capable of so much more than just a few solid punches. With that final thought, Gaara got in his car, and drove away.

Sasori looked down at the small splatters of blood on his hands as they shook horribly. It had been almost three years since he had gotten like that, and he really never wanted to fight again. His friends had saved him from that life, Itachi had taken them all into his home, Yahiko and Konan were like parents to them, and Deidara...he had been the most compassionate of all. He followed Sasori everywhere, saving him numerous times from falling back into his old ways. He helped him open up and talk about all the horrible things he'd done, and even after finding out what a monster he'd been, he still treated him like he was human. For a moment, Sasori actually felt bad for Gaara. He didn't have anyone like that, and he wondered how much longer he could go on living the way he was before something snapped.

He decided to call Sakura, just to make sure she was okay. Meanwhile, in Gaara's car, a pink cell phone was vibrating on the passenger seat.

CHAPTER 10  
"I can't thank you guys enough for picking me up!"

"Well, don't thank me, it was Hinata's idea." Said one very stoic and annoyed Neji. He spoke so properly, and was kind of a stiff, but he didn't have to listen to Hinata. He doesn't seem like a bad guy, but he must hate me after that disaster with Ino..

"Where would you like us to drive you to?" Hinata said, she has such a cute voice, Sakura though. Hinata had even offered to let her sit in front, but when Sakura refused, Hinata decided to at least sit in the back with her.

"Hinata..." Neji started. "We're going to be late." He said.

"But, Neji-"

"It's okay!" Sakura chimed, feeling guilty for inconveniencing them. "I can go wherever you're going, I don't have anywhere to be." She said, trying to stay positive. "There will probably be a phone around, and I can call my parents."

"A-are you sure?" Hinata asked her, giving her a concerned look. Sakura was surprised by the kindness emanating from Hinata. She seemed so pure and perfect, why was she always so nervous? Wow, she is seriously beautiful!

"R-really, ha it's okay! I'm just glad to not be in the heat anymore." She was also grateful that they weren't asking what she was doing in such a strange and empty area.

After about 20 minutes of driving, they finally reached their destination. The estate was fairly secluded and even more impressive than the Uchiha home. The design was much more traditional though, and something about it felt quaint and nostalgic.

"Wow, you live here? This is beautiful!" She said, awing the wide driveway, and the green and lavender tinted garden that lined the front side of the property. When they reached the center, a suited man came out the take the car from Neji, as Sakura and Hinata were helped out of the vehicle.

"Follow me, Sakura." Hinata said kindly, as she led Sakura into the home. It didn't really look like a living space inside. It was more like a business area. Tables with books, papers, phones, files. Statues and artwork neatly hung and placed with keen precision, it was amazing, but it made her feel uncomfortable. Like being in a museum.

"This way." Hinata said, as they reached what she assumed to be her room. It was still pristine, but it was more clearly a living space than the rest of the house was. "I have to get changed. Feel free to use any of the phones whenever you want."

Sakura nodded and smiled to her as she disappeared into a large closet. There was a vanity mirror and makeup table, giving her a chance to clear the smeared makeup from the earlier incident. She didn't really feel like calling her parents just yet. Her mom was mostly a stay at home parent, though now that Sakura was older she had gotten into hobbies and other things. Her mom actually did want other kids, but couldn't conceive after she had Sakura. Her dad was a workaholic, but he did well enough. There was really nothing to dislike about her parents. They were both kind hearted, but if they could be faulted for anything, it would be in the kind of care they showed. Sakura couldn't remember being disciplined for anything. She had tried lying to them, stealing, pushing kids around on play dates and at day care, but nothing got their attention. She was never scolded, and she was never in trouble. Eventually she grew tired of it, of stopped acting out early on. Instead, she grew frustrated with their inability to be guiding parental figures, and she slowly grew to resent them in a way.

It soon became apparent to Sakura that Hinata's parents were the complete opposite. She came out of the closet after a few short minutes, dawning a silken shirt and pant set, tied at the waist. Hinata blushed nervously, beckoning Sakura to follow her through the house, and into a large courtyard.

"Sakura!" A familiar voice called gleefully.

"Lee?" She saw him standing with a girl she didn't recognize. "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same thing! I'm here to train with the Hyuuga's. This is Tenten, we come here twice a week." Lee seemed to be blushing a bit. It was the first time they'd been social outside of school, even in all the years they'd known each other. Tenten nodded at Sakura, she seemed quite cute, and she had a quiet and intense presence as well.

"Nice to meet you, Tenten. Um, I'm here, to... hang out with Hinata!" Sakura fibbed, though it wasn't entirely a lie, as she was enjoying the quiet company of the quiet purple haired teen.

"...Really?" Lee said in a confused tone. Hinata didn't exactly seem the type to attract someone as social as Sakura into a friendship. "Well, that's great! Hinata is really amazing." He spoke genuinely, motioning to a nearby area where Hinata and Neji were.

There was a large black stone ring, with a soft stone like center. Neji and Hinata were practicing some kind of combat within it. Their movements were graceful and eloquent, and the act accentuated their individual beauty. Several other members of the family were scattered in the courtyard, many of them looked like Hyuuga. One particularly stern and intense individual stood just outside the ring Hinata was in.

"Sharper left Hinata. Stop hesitating!" He barked, shouting commands and corrections to her. "You're letting him get too close to the center, be more aggressive!" Hinata seemed to be easily nerved by this, as her face was twisted with anxiety, and her movements were increasingly less graceful. Within minutes, Neji dealt a harsh blow in the center of her chest, and she gasped sharply, falling backwards.

"Hinata!" Neji called as she hit the ground. "Are you okay?" He knelt down beside her.

"She is fine. Get up Hinata. We have a lot of work to do." The man said.

"Y-yes father." She said, getting up painfully.

"Lee, I want you to spar with her for the next hour."

"Yes, sir!" Lee called, entering the circle, waiting for Hinata to initiate their mock battle.

Neji walked over Sakura and Tenten. "Is he always so strict?" Sakura asked, feeling sympathetic towards Hinata. The harshness of the strict training seemed to account for why she was so withdrawn and lacking in confidence.

"Yes, I'm afraid he's always been that way."

"And how long have...

AND that is where I gave up.

:P


End file.
